A joint information activity on Philippine native trees was held in UP Diliman (UPD) this June by the UP Resilience Institute (UPRI), the Philippine Association of University Women (PAUW)-UP Chapter, and Philippine Native Tree (PNT) Enthusiasts, an advocacy group formed in 2013 dedicated to the promotion of PNT in the Philippines.
During the event, free seeds and seedlings were given away to the public, while participants and passers by were educated about the value of Philippine native trees.
The small booth setup at the AS Parking Lot on June 7 belied the wealth of information made available about PNT: seeds and seedlings of Mali-mali, Bani, Linawin, Tagpo, Molave, Siar, Lipote, Putat, Kayumanis, Malubago, and Balai Lamok were shown and distributed. PNT Enthusiasts founder Arceli Manalili-Tungol and UPRI Executive Director Alfredo Mahar Francisco Lagmay enthusiastically answered questions on native trees.
Aside from the bikers, runners, joggers, walkers, and passers by attracted by the display, UPD faculty, staff, and even students from other state universities also visited the booth.
Some visitors also picked up copies of Alay: Philippine Native Trees at the Victor O. Ramos Arboretum, a book about the 300 PNT found at the Victor O. Ramos Arboretum in Pangasinan published by the Philippine Native Tree Enthusiasts.
Manning the booth were PAUW-UP Chapter Trustee and Chief Operations Officer Cynthia D. Nuval; Trustee Aura C. Matias; Parks, Biodiversity and Environment Chair Susan Solis; Parks, Biodiversity, and Environment Vice-Chair Cathe S. Nadal; and Health & Wellness Vice-Chair Ma. Crisanta N. Flores.—With reports from PAUW-UP Chapter and UPRI